Rangers Notes: Strong Starts Lead to Series Win over Yanks

A.J. Griffin scattered four hits over eight quality innings Tuesday versus New York, improving his season record to 3-0 and lowering his ERA to 2.52.

On the heels of a rough weekend sweep at the hands of Chicago, the Rangers – buoyed by impressive performances from starters A.J. Griffin and Martin Perez – returned home this week and took two out of three games from the visiting Yankees at Globe Life Park.

Cole Hamels was scratched from his start Monday against New York with a left groin strain, and southpaw Cesar Ramos was called up from Triple-A Round Rock to start in Hamels’ place. Right-hander Nick Martinez was optioned to Triple-A and reliever Keone Kela was transferred from the 15- to the 60-day disabled list in related roster moves.

Making the spot start, Ramos pitched well Monday but was hurt by a pair of leadoff home runs from Jacoby Ellsbury (third inning) and Starlin Castro (sixth inning) and an RBI double from Mark Teixeira.

The Texas lineup, meanwhile, was stifled by hard-throwing Yankees righty Nathan Eovaldi from the outset, and the Rangers tallied their lone run on Brett Nicholas’ first career homer off reliever Dellin Betances in a 3-1 defeat.

In the longest outing by a Texas starter so far this season, A.J. Griffin lasted eight solid frames on Tuesday and was backed by the Rangers’ largest offensive output of the year as the ballclub cruised to a 10-1 win over New York.

Yankees starter Luis Severino permitted just one run in his first turn through the Texas batting order, then unraveled after recording two ground ball outs to begin the bottom of the third inning.

With runners on second and third via two base hits, Severino intentionally walked Prince Fielder to load the bases for Ian Desmond, then unintentionally walked Desmond to force in a run. Mitch Moreland followed with a two-run single, and Desmond scored on a wild pitch one batter later.

Elvis Andrus then drove in Moreland with an RBI single into left-center field, effectively ending Severino’s night and giving Griffin a 6-0 cushion with which to work.

The 28-year-old righty sailed the rest of the way, facing just three batters over the minimum from the fourth inning onward before he was relieved by Tony Barnette, who worked around a pair of singles in the ninth to end the ballgame.

On Wednesday, left-hander Martin Perez earned his first victory of the year and helped Texas to a 3-2 win with six quality frames, extending the Rangers’ season-opening streak of getting five or more innings from their starting pitcher to 21 consecutive games.

With the score tied at 2-2 and two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Rougned Odor worked a pivotal walk against CC Sabathia and scored the go-ahead run when Andrus followed with an RBI triple into right-center field.

Perez had been hit hard in his previous start last Friday in Chicago, allowing five earned runs while Jose Quintana and the White Sox bullpen combined for a 5-0 shutout. Texas also suffered the ignominy of hitting into a triple play for the first time since 1991, erasing a bases-loaded, no-out threat in the top of the seventh.

Jose Abreu delivered an extra-inning walk-off single on Saturday afternoon – only after Nomar Mazara made a leaping grab above the right-field wall to steal a game-winning homer from Todd Frazier in the ninth – and Chicago finished its sweep with a 4-1 victory behind Mat Latos in Sunday’s finale.

Longtime Ranger David Murphy Retires

Veteran outfielder David Murphy announced his retirement from baseball last weekend, opting to spend time with his family instead of joining the 40-man roster of the Minnesota Twins, who had signed him to a minor-league deal earlier this month.

“Basically it got to the point where playing this game and living this lifestyle wasn’t worth it anymore to be away from my family,” Murphy said. “I’m always going to miss the game and I’ll always love it, but it doesn’t compare to my family.”

Acquired in a 2007 trade deadline deal that also brought Engel Beltre and Kason Gabbard to the Rangers and sent Eric Gagne to Boston, Murphy emerged into a regular in a Texas outfield that included perennial All-Stars Nelson Cruz and Josh Hamilton.

Over parts of 10 major-league seasons with the Rangers, Red Sox, Indians and Angels, Murphy posted a lifetime batting average of .274 while collecting 104 home runs, 203 doubles and 472 runs batted in.

“It’s permanent,” Murphy said of his choice to retire at 34 years of age. “I’m at home now. I have zero regrets. I know I made the right decision.”

Darvish to Begin Rehab in Frisco

Making his way back from reconstructive Tommy John surgery, right-hander Yu Darvish is scheduled to make his first minor-league rehab start for the Frisco RoughRiders on Sunday.

Darvish will throw roughly two innings (or 30 pitches) Sunday at Dr Pepper Ballpark against Corpus Christi, then is expected to make three or four more rehab starts for Frisco and Round Rock before working his way back into the Texas rotation.

The 29-year-old All-Star has not pitched in an MLB game since Aug. 9, 2014, missing the rest of that season with elbow inflammation and sitting out the entire ’15 campaign while recovering from the mid-March Tommy John procedure.

Rangers Notes: Cruz Still Looking for Right Landing Spot

Free-agent outfielder Nelson Cruz (left) has not yet found a team willing to meet his original contract target of $75 million over four years.

Along with Carlos Beltran, Shin-Soo Choo and Jacoby Ellsbury, Nelson Cruz was thought to be one of the top outfielders available on this winter’s free-agent market.

While the first three have all found homes with new clubs, however, Cruz remains unsigned as the new calendar year begins.

A number of factors are at play for Cruz, beginning with his relatively steep asking price of around $75 million. Some teams are also wary of a production drop-off following last season’s suspension for his ties to Biogenesis, and the fact that Texas made him a qualifying offer means that whatever club signs Cruz will be forced to give up draft pick compensation.

At the time of his 50-game suspension last year, Cruz was the Rangers’ leading power producer with 27 home runs and 76 runs batted in, and he finished second behind Adrian Beltre with a .506 slugging percentage.

His abbreviated 2013 season came at the end of a very productive five-year span in which Cruz established himself as one of the top sluggers in the game, having racked up 135 homers, 143 doubles and 407 RBIs since 2009.

Tracy Ringolsby of MLB.com notes that while Cruz was linked to a number of teams earlier this offseason (including Colorado, Kansas City, Milwaukee and Seattle), those organizations have already filled their power-hitting needs with other players.

“There’s no single issue that would scare a team away from Cruz, given the person he is,” Ringolsby writes. “The chain of events, however, has left Cruz – as respected as he is within the game – still waiting to find a team to play for in 2014.”

One recent example that could make ballclubs leery about signing Cruz is that of Blue Jays outfielder Melky Cabrera, who saw a significant drop in production last year after receiving a 50-game suspension in 2012 for testosterone use.

The Rangers have indicated that their offseason shopping is largely complete, but as Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe notes, “It seems Cruz needs to reestablish his value” and therefore may be willing to accept a one-year “pillow” contract.

Bringing Cruz back to Texas is a nice thought, but it would require some reshuffling of a lineup that already has three everyday outfielders (Choo, Leonys Martin and Alex Rios) and a designated hitter (Mitch Moreland).

St. Louis Claims Ortega from Texas

Minor-league outfielder Rafael Ortega continued a busy offseason this week when he was acquired by the St. Louis Cardinals on a waiver claim from the Rangers.

Ortega, 22, had spent his entire six-year career within the Rockies organization before getting picked up by Texas in late November.

The Rangers added Ortega to their 40-man roster, but he was ultimately designated for assignment as part of the domino effect from the Shin-Soo Choo signing, allowing St. Louis to grab him on Monday.

Special Assistant Maddux Elected to Hall

It was announced Wednesday that three new players will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this summer, including former Braves hurler Greg Maddux, who is starting his third season with Texas as special assistant to general manager Jon Daniels.

Maddux, the younger brother of pitching coach Mike Maddux, won 355 games and four National League Cy Young awards over his 23-season career, and he will be enshrined in Cooperstown next to longtime teammate Tom Glavine and former MVP Frank Thomas.

“His accomplishments are well-documented, and it’s an honor for us to work with one of the true greats,” Daniels said of Maddux. “He has made an impression on all of us with his passion for and knowledge of the game, his willingness to share it with all, and his ability to keep things loose and have fun.”

Among the many players who fell short of the requisite 75 percent of the vote total needed for election were former Rangers Sammy Sosa (7.2 percent), Rafael Palmeiro (4.4), Eric Gagne (0.4) and Kenny Rogers (0.2).

Rangers Notes: Choo Agrees to Seven-Year Deal with Texas

Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo is expected to replace Ian Kinsler as the regular leadoff batter for Texas.

Almost one month to the day after acquiring slugger Prince Fielder from Detroit, the Rangers on Saturday added another left-handed power hitter to their projected lineup by signing free-agent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo to a seven-year deal worth a reported $130 million.

Choo, 31, spent much of his career with the Indians before a trade last offseason that sent him across the state to Cincinnati, where he batted a respectable .285 for the Reds with 21 home runs, 34 doubles and a .423 on-base percentage.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Choo turned down a seven-year, $140 million offer from the New York Yankees, who had already signed the fleet-footed Jacoby Ellsbury to a deal worth $153 million through the 2020 season.

While some have criticized Texas for giving such a lucrative contract to a player who has never made an All-Star team and is not considered to be a superstar, Choo’s presence at the top of the batting order should provide a reliable spark for the Rangers’ offense.

The asset most valuable to the Texas lineup may be Choo’s ability to get on base without the benefit of a hit, as he ranked second in the National League with 112 bases on balls last season and led the majors with 26 hit-by-pitches.

Originally drafted and signed by Seattle in 2000, the Korean-born Choo figures to get regular playing time at one of the corner outfield spots for the Rangers next year, with Alex Rios at the other corner and Leonys Martin in center.

Choo’s signing could prove to have a ripple effect on any contract given to Nelson Cruz, who now sits alone as the top free-agent outfielder still available but comes with question marks about his health and recent history of performance-enhancing drug use.

Two more get Spring Training Invites

The Rangers announced last week that they had signed four players to minor-league contracts, two of which include invitations to major-league camp.

Left-hander Ryan Feierabend and infielder Kensuke Tanaka have each logged big-league time with other clubs, Feierabend with Seattle from ‘06 to ‘08 and Tanaka with the San Francisco Giants last season.

(Kensuke Tanaka should not be mistaken for right-handed pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, who will command a hefty salary if he is allowed to be posted by his current team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Pacific League.)

Feierabend has some familiarity with the Texas organization, as he spent part of last spring in camp in Surprise, Ariz., before pitching in a total of 29 games between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock in the Rangers’ farm system.

In addition, right-hander Daniel McCutchen and Taiwanese outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin also agreed to minor-league deals with Texas last week, though they are not slated to begin the spring with the big-league club.

Castellanos Picked Up on Waiver Claim

The Rangers acquired outfielder Alex Castellanos on a waiver claim from the Red Sox on Monday and added him to their 40-man roster.

Castellanos, who also has some minor-league experience at second and third base, was designated for assignment when Boston re-signed catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli earlier this month.

The 27-year-old Castellanos had spent much of the last two seasons at Triple-A Albuquerque in the Dodgers organization before he was sent to the Red Sox as part of a minor trade back in October.

Rangers Notes: Offseason Needs Shift into Focus

Shin-Soo Choo could give the Rangers a left-handed power hitter in the outfield, something missing since the departure of Josh Hamilton.

Trying to move past another stumbling finish to a disappointing season (not to mention the loss of the most notable icon in franchise history), the Rangers will be in the unfamiliar position of trying to improve their offense via free agency or trades this winter.

The Texas lineup that lost Josh Hamilton, Mike Napoli and Michael Young heading into this year did not fare as well as many had hoped, and Nelson Cruz’s late-season suspension highlighted multiple weaknesses in the batting order.

Cruz is going to be an unrestricted ‘Type A’ free agent for the first time in his career this offseason, and while the Rangers are expected to make him a qualifying offer of roughly $14 million, the Dominican slugger could elect to seek a more lucrative multi-year contract from another club on the open market.

Alex Rios has already supplanted Cruz as the team’s everyday right fielder, and both Craig Gentry and Leonys Martin saw regular playing time down the stretch, but Texas could look to add a left-handed power bat to the outfield mix.

Some of the top names available to that end include Shin-Soo Choo, Jacoby Ellsbury, Curtis Granderson and Grady Sizemore, each of whom is 33 years old or younger and has reached double figures in home runs at least once in their career.

Barring a blockbuster trade this offseason, the Rangers appear to have most of their infield set with Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler, but they are likely to seek a utility man to replace free agent Jeff Baker.

In addition, the club could look for a more reliable power source than Mitch Moreland at first base, with Kendrys Morales, Justin Morneau and former Texas slugger Mike Napoli among the top players available at that position.

Behind the plate, both A.J. Pierzynski and Geovany Soto are eligible for free agency in a class that features a considerable gap between the most coveted name on the market — Atlanta catcher Brian McCann — and the next-best option.

The Rangers figure to be in the running for McCann’s services, and it would not be surprising if they brought back Soto because of the successful rapport he appears to have developed with starter Yu Darvish.

Aside from Darvish, left-hander Derek Holland is about the only other sure bet to begin next season in the Texas rotation, although 22-year-old Martin Perez certainly earned himself strong consideration by posting a 10-6 record across 20 starts this summer.

Matt Garza, acquired from the Cubs in a July trade, is eligible for free agency after winning just four of his 13 starts with the Rangers, but he’s thought to be one of the better pitchers on the market this offseason.

Also drawing interest this winter will be a handful of serviceable veterans who have shown the ability to surpass 200 innings pitched in a season, including Dan Haren, Ubaldo Jimenez, Ricky Nolasco, Ervin Santana and Jason Vargas.

Finally, the Texas bullpen does not figure to see a great amount of turnover next year, although some roles could be shifted if closer Joe Nathan decides to turn down his 2014 contract option and become a free agent.

Davis to Serve as Controlling Owner

With Nolan Ryan resigning from his ownership post, Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said last week that Ray Davis will replace Ryan as the controlling owner of the team.

Davis, who already serves as co-chairman of the organization with Bob Simpson, is expected to be bestowed with his new title at the annual meeting of MLB owners in mid-November.

Following six years as a Rangers executive, Ryan announced two weeks ago that he will be stepping down from his front-office position at the end of this month, at which time he will sell his stake in the team to Davis and Simpson.

Leyland Retirement Could Open Door for Maddux

While he does not appear to among the finalists for the vacant Cubs’ managerial job, Texas pitching coach Mike Maddux is now being discussed as a potential candidate to replace Jim Leyland in Detroit.

Leyland announced he would not return as manager just two days after his Tigers lost to the Red Sox in the American League Championship Series, and Maddux has said he would “absolutely be interested” in the Detroit opening.

“This team is built to win now,” Maddux said of the Tigers. “I would try to put my own brand on it and just try to fill Jim Leyland’s shoes — not that anyone will be able to fill his shoes.”

Rangers Notes: Questions Loom for Long Winter Ahead

Manager Ron Washington guided Texas to back-to-back pennants before a second-place division finish in 2012.

This offseason began much earlier than planned for the two-time defending American League champion Rangers, and now the club finds itself facing key on-field personnel decisions in the coming months.

Texas held first place in the A.L. West for all but three days this year, leading by as many as 6.5 games before watching Oakland catch fire in the second half and ultimately move into first place on the final day of the regular season.

Any discussions regarding the Rangers’ plans going forward begin and end with outfielder Josh Hamilton, a five-time All-Star and former American League MVP who will be an unrestricted ‘Type A’ free agent for the first time in his career this winter. It was reported last Tuesday that Texas will not make an initial offer to the 31-year-old slugger, instead opting to let him explore what kind of options become available on the free-agent market.

“We’re not going to make a kind of preemptive proposal at this point,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “If you put yourself in [Hamilton’s] shoes, if you’ve got this far, you’re going to test the market, find out what’s out there. I think that’s understandable.”

In five seasons with the Rangers, Hamilton has averaged just over 28 home runs and 101 RBIs per year, batting .305 during his time in Texas while leading the league with a .359 average in 2010.

The solid career numbers have been obscured at various times by Hamilton’s proneness to injury and off-field issues, and he took recent criticism for what appeared to be a lack of concentration that mirrored his declining offensive production in the closing weeks of the 2012 season.

Should Hamilton depart, which seems more likely than not, the Rangers could look to replace his production with a second-tier outfielder from the free-agent market — Michael Bourn, Ryan Ludwick, B.J. Upton and Delmon Young are all available — or potentially via trade.

On Sunday, The Chicago Tribune hinted at a possible deal between Boston and Texas that would bring center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury to the Rangers and send left-hander Derek Holland to the Red Sox, although there is nothing yet to substantiate that rumor.

Along with Hamilton, catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli and infielder Alberto Gonzalez are also free agents, as are right-handers Mike Adams, Ryan Dempster, Scott Feldman, Mark Lowe, Roy Oswalt and Koji Uehara, with Feldman having a $9.25 million team option that is unlikely to be exercised.

Presuming the departure of Dempster, Feldman and Oswalt (all of whom have starting experience), Texas will be seeking rotation help with only three healthy starters penciled in for next year — righty Yu Darvish and southpaws Matt Harrison and Derek Holland.

After having his 2012 season cut short by elbow surgery, veteran Colby Lewis signed a one-year deal in September and hopes to return to the mound sometime next spring or summer.

As for another member of this year’s starting rotation, right-hander Neftali Feliz isn’t expected to be back nearly as soon while he recovers from reconstructive Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow.

Infielder Hernandez Declares Free Agency

Switch-hitting infielder Luis Hernandez, who saw action in just two big-league games for Texas this season, declared and was granted free agency over the weekend.

Prior to his brief September call-up, Hernandez, 28, had spent nearly the entire year at Triple-A Round Rock, where he batted .262 in with 23 doubles and six triples in 129 games for the Express.

The Rangers have some backup infield help in the form of 19-year-old prospect Jurickson Profar, who can play both shortstop and second base, but he will probably need more seasoning and the club may look to add depth via trade or free agency.